1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine capable of at least two of these functions; and a waste toner container used therein.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers include an image bearer, such as a drum-shaped or belt-shaped photoreceptor and drum-shaped or belt-shaped intermediate transfer member, and a cleaning unit to remove any toner remaining on the image bearer after image transfer. The toner removed from the image bearer (i.e., waste toner) is collected in a waste toner container.
Being filled to capacity (or close to the capacity) with the waste toner, the waste toner container is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and an empty waste toner container is set in the apparatus instead.
For example, certain conventional approaches propose providing a waste toner conveyance member such as a paddle in a waste toner reservoir in the waste toner container to level the waste toner in the waste toner reservoir. To transmit a drive force to the waste toner conveyance member, a cam mechanism (i.e., drive transmission unit) is provided in the waste toner reservoir.
The above-described approaches, however, have several drawbacks. For example, because the cam mechanism (drive transmission unit) is provided inside the waste toner reservoir to transport the waste toner, it is possible that the waste toner gets into the cam mechanism, causing the waste toner conveyance member to malfunction. When the waste toner conveyance member does not function properly, the waste toner cannot be leveled in the waste toner reservoir of the waste toner container and inaccurately indicating that it is filled to capacity. As a result, replacement cycle of the waste toner container is shortened.
In particular, recently, to extend the replacement cycle of the waste toner container, large-capacity waste toner containers are widely used, making full use of the space inside the apparatus except functional areas such as an image forming unit, a sheet feeder, a fixing device, and a sheet conveyance unit. Therefore, it is wasteful if the large-capacity waste toner container is not used to its capacity.
Therefore, the inventors of the present invention recognize that there is a need for a waste toner container capable of containing waste toner to its capacity uniformly without causing the waste toner conveyance member and an image forming apparatus including same to malfunction, which known approaches fail to do.